Just Across the Street
by PnAyLynn
Summary: AU-Angel moves across the street from Buffy
1. Prologue

"Just Across the Street"  
  
Author: Lynn  
  
Disclaimer: DUH!! Of course not they're not mine… The characters I made up are mine.  
  
Couples: B/A, W/O, C/X  
  
E-mail: QTJecpnay220@hotmail.com  
  
Distribution: Like Faith said, "Want. Take. Have…BUT ask before you take and tell me where it's going  
  
Summary: AU; Angel moves across the street from Buffy  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
1 Prologue  
  
The 16-year-old boy shrugged on his leather jacket, and then took a quick glance in the mirror to check out his reflection. Confirming that everything was alright, he opened his door and made sure all the lights in the house were out before stepping out of his room.  
  
He planned to wait until all of his family was asleep before he could leave for the party his friend was throwing. His father and stepmother, John and Lolita Rhodes, knew that there was going to be alcoholic beverages, no adult supervision, or anything else inappropriate for a 16-year-old minor at the party, so they flat out refused to let him have the car for the night and basically go to the party.  
  
Seeing the coast was clear, he smirked, and stealthily moved to the kitchen counter to grab the keys.  
  
He glanced at his watch and winced, * Better hurry, Darla is gonna get so pissed if I'm late, * he thought.  
  
He swiped the keys from the counter, tossed them in the air and caught them while shaking his head and softly chuckling. * This is too easy. *  
  
His hand was on the doorknob when he suddenly froze when he heard a voice behind him. * I repeat, this was TOO easy. *  
  
"Angel Liam Rhodes. Where are you going?"  
  
Angel turned around and looked down at his 4-year-old half sister, Jessica. She had on one of his old t-shirts, which still seemed to swallow her whole, clutching her huge, stuffed porcupine her mother gave her, wearing a stubborn, mad face.  
  
He kneeled in front of her so he was face to face with her.  
  
"Jessica, what are you doing up?" he quietly asked the 4-year-old.  
  
"TJ said there was a poultry geist in my room like in the movie and he said it gonna eat me."  
  
Angel tried not to laugh at his little 8-year-old half brother's attempt to scare Jessica.  
  
"I think you mean poltergeist. And there's no such thing."  
  
"Promise?"  
  
"Hey, do I lie to you?" She shook her head, "Good. Now, I think have to go somewhere with Darla. But you have to keep it a secret, okay?"  
  
"'Kay!"  
  
"Alright. Want me to take me to you back to your room?" She nodded and he got up and grabbed her hand to walk to her room.  
  
Angelus Rhodes was a real bad ass when he was out of the house, but under different circumstances, Angel was a real big softie.  
  
He tucked her in and kissed her forehead. Then he quietly left her room and out of the house.  
  
*~*~  
  
Angel groaned when he felt the bed bouncing up and down the next morning. It didn't help his nausea or his pounding headache.  
  
He didn't get home until 4 in the morning. Luckily his next-door neighbor's kid was at the party also and needed a ride home, or else Angel could've hurt himself or another.  
  
"ANGEL!! Wake up! Daddy made pancakes!" His little sister yelled while jumping.  
  
Angel shielded his eyes with his arm from the blinding sunlight.  
  
"Jessica. Please stop. Angel's not feeling well," Angel pleaded; his urge to throw up was getting worse.  
  
Finally, the bed stopped moving. The little girl landed on her knees next to her big brother. "Uh-oh. You sick?" Angel groaned in response. "That no good. I tell Daddy. He make you feel better."  
  
Before Angel could stop her, she was already running out of his room, yelling, "DADDY!! ANGEL SICK!!"  
  
He cursed in his throbbing head. He loved his baby sister, but her big mouth always got him trouble.  
  
Jessica re-entered the room, pulling their father in by his hand. "Come on. Hurry," she urged him behind her.  
  
  
  
"You okay son?" John asked half concerned. He had an inkling that his oldest son was hung over. It's happened numerous of times for quite some time now. For this week, this time was number three.  
  
"Angel not okay Daddy," Jessica filled in. "See?"  
  
"I see Baby." He ruffled her hair and walked over to Angel and placed his hand on his forehead. Purposely, he smacked Angel's forehead hard to make his supposed hangover worse. He feigned thoughtfulness and said, "Ohh. I see the problem here." He removed his hand and bent down to Angel's level. "It's a case of 'Too Muchus to Drinkus.'"  
  
Suddenly, John yelled for his wife in Angel's ear. "LOLITA! COME HERE!" Angel yelped at his father's action.  
  
Lolita walked in. "What's wrong? Is Angel alright?" she asked concerned with her Asian accent.  
  
Angel's actual mother died when he was 2, so Lolita was the closest Angel known as a mother. When Angel was 4, his father went to the Philippines for a business trip and came back with a new love.  
  
Angel adored her, and loved her even more when she gave him a brother to play with at age 8 and a sister to protect at age 12.  
  
"Oh he'll be fine. But just for a few minutes when he gets SOBER!"  
  
"Oh no. Not again Angel," Lolita sighed and then looked down at his daughter. "Baby, go join your Kuya TJ in the kitchen."  
  
"'Kay." Jessica darted to the kitchen. If she couldn't get her oldest brother to play with her, she would just bug her other brother to play with her.  
  
John paced in front of the bed, while Lolita sat next Angel who was propped up against the headboard.  
  
"Angel, I thought we told you NOT to go to this party. Why'd you go?," Lolita gently scolded him.  
  
"Mom, people EXPECTED me to be there," Angel answered.  
  
"Angelus, WE expected YOU to be more responsible. You're brother and sister look up to you," he paused for a moment and then asked, "Did you drive home?"  
  
Angel thought for a moment, "No. Ritchie drove the car home."  
  
"You're gonna go over there later, thank Richard and apologize to him, and tell him you're gonna mow their lawn every Saturday for the whole time you're grounded."  
  
Angel's jaw dropped, "Dad! That is so-"  
  
He was cut off with a cold look from John and his continuous punishment, "Oh there's more. You're on babysitting duty tonight, and you're grounded for 4 months."  
  
"Dad! Mom, tell him-"  
  
"And no more seeing that Darla girl. Obviously she's been a bad influence on you," Lolita added.  
  
"Mom! Come on!"  
  
"No Angel. You brought this on your own self. Now, get dressed and eat." With that, John and Lolita left a fuming Angel in the room.  
  
*~*~  
  
Later that night, Angel sat on the couch, reading to Jessica, sitting next to him.  
  
Their parents were out eating dinner. He called Darla to tell her his punishment. She was NOT happy. She said something about them getting theirs, but Angel didn't take it seriously. What kind of danger can a 16- year-old girl inflict?  
  
"Angel," Jessica looked up at him with her darker than his brown eyes, "When Mommy and Daddy come home?"  
  
He glanced at the clock above the TV * 10:00; they should've been home an hour ago. * "Soon, very soon. Shouldn't you be sleeping?"  
  
She vigorously shook her head. "Nah. I stay awake."  
  
Just when he was about to agree with the 4-year-old, there was a knock at the door. His brow furrowed in wonder and stood up from the couch. On his way to the door, he ruffled TJ's hair, who was on the floor, staring contently at the TV, snuggled with his dinosaur action figure.  
  
Angel pried open the door and was confused when he saw two men in suits and overcoats standing there.  
  
"Yeah?" Angel asked with attitude.  
  
"Are you Angelus Rhodes?" The shorter one of the two asked.  
  
Angel nodded.  
  
The man flashed a badge, "We're from NYPD. May we come in?"  
  
Angel panicked for a bit, *Oh God. Mom and Dad called the cops on me?! *  
  
"Angelus?"  
  
"Oh…um…," he opened the door wider to let the detectives in and then shut the door behind them.  
  
The two mean walked on the living room to where his siblings resided and Angel silently followed, still filled with fear and panic.  
  
The taller of the men knelt in front of Jessica, the book her oldest brother was reading to in her lap, pretending to know what she was reading and saying words out loud.  
  
"Hello. You must be Jessica." Said girl looked up at the man, she nodded enthusiastically. He continued speaking to her with his gentle voice. "My you're a big girl reading by yourself. How old are you?"  
  
"I'm dis many! She held up 4 fingers and then resumed her "reading".  
  
The man then turned to TJ, who forgot about the TV, and was now playing with his dinosaurs. "And you must be Tyrone."  
  
TJ paused with his playing and looked cautiously at the stranger. He turned his head to look at the other stranger who was standing next to his brother. He hugged his dinosaur closer to him, and looked to his brother for answers.  
  
"Don't worry TJ. They're policemen, they won't hurt you," Angel assured his brother. *Yeah, they'll probably just hurt me. *  
  
TJ loosened up a bit and tilted his head, "Why are you here?"  
  
The man kneeling stood up, "I need to speak to Angelus," he turned to Angel, "Can we go in and talk in the kitchen?"  
  
Angel nodded and said to TJ, "Watch Jessica," and then he escorted the detectives to the kitchen.  
  
*Oh God. Oh God. Oh god. *  
  
"Angelus…There…There has been an accident concerning your parents," the shorter of the two started off.  
  
Angel's panic of being arrested was long forgotten and was replaced by panic that something terrible happened to his mom and dad.  
  
"What? Are they okay?" Angel worried.  
  
The 2 detectives glanced at each other and back at Angel.  
  
"Um…This is the hardest part of the job," the tall man mumbled to himself.  
  
"WHAT?! Please tell me!"  
  
"Angelus…Your parents were found in a ditch off the highway, their car flipped over. They um…They've passed on. We're sorry."  
  
Angel suddenly got very weak. He needed to sit down.  
  
"It seems that someone had tampered with the brakes. We're looking into it."  
  
Angel just stared off into space.  
  
"You and your brother and sister are going to stay with your aunt Eliza from now on." Angel nodded.  
  
"So, get you and your brother and sister's stuff packed and we'll get you there."  
  
"Can you uh," Angel gulped down his tears, "Can you come tomorrow?"  
  
"We really need you to-"  
  
"COME tomorrow," Angel said firmly.  
  
Not looking to argue, they agreed to come by the next afternoon and left.  
  
Angel sat in the kitchen, brooding. Then suddenly, it came to him. *Someone tampered with the…Oh God.* He let this happen. How could he?  
  
*"They'll get theirs…" * he thought back to his phone conversation with his ex.* It was her who did this. She killed Dad and Mom. But it's still my fault.*  
  
He was yanked from his brooding when Jessica burst in the kitchen.  
  
"Look what I made for Mommy and Daddy!" She held up her drawing of the family.  
  
TJ soon followed and asked, "When's Mom and Dad coming home?"  
  
Angel braced himself and told his siblings the situation that no children as young as these three were should face.  
  
That night, all three of them slept in their deceased parents' bedroom.  
  
*~*~  
  
As Angel stared at the coffins that held the bodies of his father and step- mom, he thought about how crazy the past week has been.  
  
He turned in Darla and had her arrested; she got committed into the insane asylum today. He, TJ, and Jessica moved in with Aunt Eliza and their cousin, Faith. They've only been there for a few days and they HATED it. Aunt Eliza was an alcoholic and hardly ever paid any attention to the children. The only thing good that came out of staying with Eliza was Faith.  
  
*I'll take care of them. * He silently promised. *I'll be the man you guys wanted me to be. I promise. * His tears slid down his cheeks as he watched as the coffins were being lowered to the ground, Jessica's drawing and letters from TJ and him going down with them.  
  
*~*~  
  
TBC… 


	2. Chapter 1: First Glance

"Just Across the Street"  
  
Author: Lynn  
  
Disclaimer: DUH!! Of course not they're not mine… The characters I made up are mine.  
  
Couples: B/A, W/O, C/X  
  
E-mail: QTJecpnay220@hotmail.com  
  
Distribution: Like Faith said, "Want. Take. Have…BUT ask before you take and tell me where it's going  
  
Summary: AU; Angel moves across the street from Buffy  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
1 Part 1  
  
11 years later  
  
Angel had kept his word. Immediately after the tragedy, angel tamed his wild ways, kept up his education and managed a full scholarship to NYU, and got a degree in teaching English.  
  
On the side, he used the money his parents saved for his college fund to invest in some businesses and actually ended up quite successful.  
  
He protected his younger siblings and cousin from things they couldn't handle themselves and mostly from the neglective drunk, Eliza.  
  
One day, she got arrested for beating a cop senseless, added to the charges of neglect.  
  
Angel took care of them all fully after that. It was a huge struggle, but they made it.  
  
*~*~  
  
"It's so…spacious," Jessica observed, staring at the house in front of her.  
  
Angel came up from behind her, holding a box marked, "Jessica's things".  
  
"Well that's the difference between houses and the cramped, little space that we called an apartment." He handed her the box and pushed her forward towards the front door.  
  
He turned and went to retrieve another box from the moving truck to help out the movers. Angel, Faith, and Jessica were making a move to LA. Earning enough money, Angel decided to relocate somewhere else and LA was the finer choice. Faith tagged along while TJ stayed behind. Jessica had to go since Angel still held custody of her.  
  
When he bent down to pick up a box, his eyes traveled to the house across the street. But it wasn't the house that caught his attention; it was the woman who was checking her mail.  
  
She was beautiful. He slowly straightened up, eyes still focused on the woman, feet frozen in place.  
  
She had short, dark blonde hair and fairly built. She wore a simple black tank top and blue jeans. Her brow was furrowed in concentration as she flipped through the letters. There was something about her that made her just shine despite the daylight.  
  
Obviously she felt Angel watching her, because she suddenly looked straight at him. She smiled brightly at him and waved.  
  
That made Angel's breath catch in his throat.  
  
*Smile you idiot. * He quickly regained his composure and gave her an equally bright smile.  
  
She gave another wave before turning and walking back into the house.  
  
Angel watched her leave for a couple of moments before also turning and going into his new house.  
  
*Yup. Definitely good decision to move here. * He thought.  
  
*~*~  
  
TBC… 


End file.
